1. Technical Field
Our invention, in general, relates to decorated luminary products, and more particularly to luminary products decorated by the use of transparent jars having a hammered texture forming an inner surface thereof, and also preferably including a decorative film wrapped around the jar. The hammered texture provides for refraction of the light emitted by, for example, a candle in the luminary product, in such a manner as to provide a varying light show as a result of the flickering of the candle flame.
2. Background Information
Luminary products come in many shapes, sizes, and designs. Such luminary products are typically wick based and burn a hydrocarbon-based fuel, and include such items as candles, oil lamps or lanterns.
In many cases, it is desirable to decorate the luminary products to improve their aesthetics, both when the luminary is unlit and when lit. However, it can be difficult and costly to decorate the outer surface of a luminary product or its holder. Also, many known techniques do not provide flexibility in production to rapidly and easily change the particular decorative design. This limits the ability to cost-effectively provide a variety of designs, or to tailor the designs to the desires of the consumer, or to a specific season, event, motif, holiday or the like, or to provide a product having a decorative effect which changes in accordance with whether the luminary is itself lit or unlit.
Therefore, a need exists for a luminary product capable of being cost-effectively manufactured with one of a variety of desired decorative designs that preferably changes in appearance when the luminary itself is burning. A further need exists that such variety of decorative luminary products be subject to production by a method that permits greater manufacturing flexibility and that simplifies the process of changing from one decorative design to another. Yet another need exists that such a decorative luminary product provide for an irregular or nonrepeating refraction of light through portions of the body of the luminary product to augment a visual effect when the luminary is burning.
It has long been known to encase candles in protective material. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,137,707 to Wade et al., relates to a process for packaging tapered candles in a seamless casing formed of a non-fibrous, cellulosic material. The casing may be transparent, translucent and/or colored. In one embodiment, the non-fibrous, cellulosic material is formed into a tube, which is wetted to soften the material for application to the candle. The diameter of the wet tube is substantially equal to the mean diameter of the tapered candle, and as the wet tube is pushed down onto the candle, or a mandrel having the same dimensions as the candle, it stretches as necessary to fit over the wider end of the candle. Then, the covered candle is dried, and the tube forms a protective casing that conforms closely to the shape of the candle and will retain the candle wax whether in a solid or melted state.
It has also been known to wrap candles in heat-shrinkable films for shipping and display. U.S. Pat. No. 3,126,682 to Krance teaches a method of wrapping candles. A tube of heat-shrinkable film material is loosely formed about the candle by shaping a web of the material about the candle with overlapping longitudinal edges. The wrapped candle is carried past a heat source, by which the material is heat shrunk around the candle while the tube is grasped just beyond each end of the candle. The material selected has at least the following two important characteristics: it will not shrink any further once it contacts the surface of the candle and it holds a high charge of static electricity, which causes it to cling when overlapped. Thus, the material is not heat sealed, but rather is held together statically around the candle after shrinking to a tight fit.
It has also been known to apply heat-shrinkable webs on various objects. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,348 to Spiegel et al. relates to decorating three-dimensional objects such as ornaments, glassware, or electric bulbs. The object is decorated by heat-shrinking a decorated tube or band of heat-shrinkable plastic about the object. The tube or band is decorated by applying precut patterns, silk screening, striping or the like, prior to application of the tube or band to the object to be decorated. The plastic is polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyethylene, which is uniaxially oriented, resulting in a 30–50% diametric shrinkage versus only a 2–10% height shrinkage of the tube, resulting in an intimate contact of the entire interior surface of the band or tube with the exterior surface of the decorated object.
Similarly, U.S. Reissue Pat. No. 20,434 to Barrett, Jr., teaches the preparation of a sanctuary candle, wherein the body of the candle is jacketed in a cylindrical transparent film of amorphous cellulose, which is fitted to the candle while it is still un-dried. It is taught that the film may be either clear or colored, and may be combined with a colored glass tube forming the outside of the assembly, which includes a bottom assembly and a cap.
There is a need in the art, however, for a candle holder that reacts with a candle flame so that the light emitted from the flame varies substantially as a result of variation of refraction of the light of the candle flame as the light passes through the glass candle holder.